Nintendo raises Switch 2 price to $499.99

Nintendo of America raised the U.S. price of the base-model Switch 2 to $499.99 on September 1, from $449.99 previously, in the company’s first announced hardware price increase for the system in the United States. Nintendo said in a May 7 notice that the revision was a response to “various changes in market conditions” expected to extend over the medium to long term. (nintendo.com) The company said pricing for the original Switch line was unchanged. Nintendo also said pricing for Latin America would be shared later. (nintendo.com) ### When did Nintendo say the higher U.S. price would take effect? May 7 was the date Nintendo of America published its price revision notice, saying the new $499.99 MSRP would begin on September 1, 2026. The company did not announce a new model, new screen or hardware refresh alongside the increase; the notice referred to the same Switch 2 system already on sale in the United States. (nintendo.com) September 1 is now the effective date referenced in Nintendo’s later bundle materials as well. In its August 25 post announcing new fall packages, Nintendo said “the suggested retail price of a standard Nintendo Switch 2 system will be $499.99 as of Sept. 1.” (nintendo.com) ### What reason did Nintendo give, and what has been reported underneath that language? Nintendo used the phrase “various changes in market conditions” in its official U.S. notice and did not break out individual component costs there. The company said those conditions were expected to persist over the medium to long term. Startup Fortune reported on September 2 that Nintendo was facing a permanent 41% increase in the cost of the LPDDR5X memory package used in the console, citing earlier reporting tied to TrendForce data. (nintendo.com) The same report said the pressure was linked to AI-related demand for memory supply, while also noting higher NAND storage costs. That cost explanation has circulated in industry coverage, but Nintendo’s own U.S. statement did not specify memory pricing. (nintendo.com) ### Are there new bundles, and how are they priced? August 25 was also the date Nintendo confirmed two new Switch 2 bundles for the fall. The first, the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle, is scheduled for late September at $549.99 and includes the console, a full game download and a 3-Month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership. (nintendo.com) Nintendo said that package represents a savings of $37.98 against buying the items separately at suggested retail price. October 22 is the release date Nintendo gave for the second package, the Nintendo Switch 2 + Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle, priced at $529.99. That bundle also includes the console, a full game download and a 3-Month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership, which Nintendo said amounts to a savings of $27.98. (startupfortune.com) ### Did Nintendo previously sell a lower-priced bundle? May 12 was the date Nintendo announced a summer “Choose Your Game Bundle” at $499.99 through participating retailers. That package included a Switch 2 system and a download code redeemable for one of several games, including Mario Kart World, according to the company’s earlier post. (nintendo.com) At launch, Nintendo had also said the Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle would be priced at $499.99 in the United States. That means the newly announced late-September Mario Kart World bundle arrives after the base console’s MSRP has already moved to the same $499.99 level that the launch-era game bundle once occupied. (nintendo.com) ### Is the increase limited to the United States? Nintendo’s U.S. notice explicitly covered the United States and said Latin America pricing would come later. Separate reports have said the increase also reached Europe and the United Kingdom, including a reported U.K. price of £419.99 from September 1, but those figures were not detailed in Nintendo’s U.S. announcement. (nintendo.com) August 25 is the latest official Nintendo U.S. update tied to the fall bundles, and it points buyers to the Nintendo Store, Nintendo eShop and participating retailers. Nintendo said pre-orders for the Switch 2 + Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle will be available soon, while the Mario Kart World bundle is due in late September at $549.99. (nintendo.com 1) (nintendo.com 2) (nintendo.com 3)